Imphal: Normal life in three hills districts of Manipur was on Monday affected due to economic blockades called by the United Naga Council (UNC) and Kuki tribes in support of their demands.
Normal life was disrupted in Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong districts where Nagas are in majority with UNC activists blocking the two important national highways – Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati (NH 39) and Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar (NH 53) to protest the demand of creation of a district by Kuki tribes, reports said.
A hill-based committee, Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC), imposed economic blockade on the two national highways since August 1 to press their demand for conversion of Kuki-settled Sadar Hills area into a full fledged district in Naga-majority Senapati district.
But it was strongly opposed by Naga civil societies who claimed that Nagas’ areas could not be bifurcated.
But SHDDC said their demand, which they had launched in 1971, was genuine and Sadar Hills should be converted into a full fledged district.
Officials said the government was seriously considering conversion of the Sadar Hills into a district and all previous governments wanted it to be a district. However, to avoid any communal clash, the decision was withheld.
Reports from the markets said prices of all essential items have gone up manifold with petrol selling at Rs 120 per litre at black market due to which all vehicles carrying essential items were stuck at many places.
Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh is now in Delhi to meet Union Home minister P Chidambaram to discuss the Manipur situation. (PTI)
